The Silence
by Donna8
Summary: The Adventure's Inc. team is plagued by trouble while on a dig in West Texas. Gabe is Judson and Mac's only hope for survival.


Disclaimer: I own nothing. Purely for entertainment.

The Silence

It should have been apparent that something was wrong the  
minute they had reached their destination. However, Judson shrugged  
off the feeling as mere imagination. Mac glanced cautiously around,  
but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Gabe felt the oppressive air  
and knew that this was not the place for them to be.

"Judson, are you sure this is the place?" Gabe questioned  
the leader of Adventures Inc.

"Gabe, I checked the coordinates. According to the curator at  
the museum, this is the spot noted in Cortez's diary as where  
Estevanico was taken," stated Mac as she turned toward the young  
man.

Judson left the two looking over the map again as he wandered in the  
canyon. The group had come to the canyons of Texas to find the  
"supposedly" treasure of Estevanico, an African slave who was part of  
Cortez's expedition. According to the legend, Estevanico was  
given a gold ceremonial bowl for healing the son of a local chief.  
He had hidden the treasure from the Spanish conqueror. He had  
witnessed what had happened to other tribes who exhibited signs of  
gold. Estevanico did not want this to happen to this tribe. He had  
then placed an African curse on the dwelling place of the object as  
further protection from the Spanish.

"See I told you we were in the right place." Mac shot a smug  
expression at her companion.

"Okay, but this just feels wrong," Gabe muttered. Mac cuffed  
him on the shoulder. "Leave the brooding to the master." Shestated nodding her head in Judson's direction.

Gabe went to the back of the jeep and began to unload the equipment  
and gear. Mac watched Judson for a minute, then turned to help  
Gabe. They unloaded their camping gear first. Mac began to set up  
camp, while Gabe set up the delicate equipment that would help in  
their search.

Judson shouted down to the pair, "Hey, I am going to check on the  
other side of this slide. I'll be back in about 30 minutes."

Mac waved her hand in acknowledgment and returned back to her self-  
appointed task.

Every so often, Gabe or Mac would stop and wipe the sweat from their  
faces and take sips of water. The temperature in the canyon was just  
98 degrees, but the dry air sucked all moisture from the area. The  
constant, warm wind provided no relief from the oppressive heat.

"Okay, we have been here about 3 hours and I am already tired of  
the wind. Does it ever stop?" Mac complained as she leaned up  
against the jeep.

"According to what I have read about this place, nope," Gabe  
replied with a quick grin at the disheveled woman. It wasn't  
often he saw Mac looking like a wrung out rag, and the sight was  
amusing. But he knew better than to let her see his amusement. Mac,  
when she was hot, was not to be trifled with.

"Hey, how long has Judson been gone?" Mac suddenly  
questioned.

Gabe's muffled voice came inside the tent, "Probably about 20  
minutes or so. What time is it?" He crawled out with a  
connecting wire in his teeth.  
"I have 4:00. What time did he leave?"

Gabe stood up, concerned. "I thought it was about 3:00. He was  
only supposed to be gone 30 minutes. You don't think he got in  
trouble do you?"

Mac smirked at Gabe. "More likely, he lost track of time and has  
been mooning over some pottery shard." Inside, though, Mac was  
worried. Judson knew better than to wander off.

Mac grabbed her back pack and threw Gabe his. "Let's go find  
him. I'm getting hungry, and he's in charge of supper  
tonight."

The pair began to climb the formation known as "Devil's  
Slide". The loose shale caused Gabe to slip a couple of times.  
Once, he slipped on a particularly large piece and would have slide  
down the entire side if not for Mac's quick reflexes in catching  
his flailing hand.

"Be careful. We are about 3 hours from any type of civilization,  
so any injures will be handled by me," Mac warned the young  
computer genius.

Gabe shuddered violently. "Mackenzie Previn, RN. That is enough  
to scare anyone into being safe. No offense, Mac, but your bedside  
manner is more Terminator than Nightingale."

Mac grunted as she continued her climb up the rocks. Gabe grew  
concerned as he realized that Mac had been hiding her concern for  
their missing leader.

Finally the pair reached the top of the slide. Mac shielded her eyes  
against the sun. Gabe reached into his backpack and took out a pairof binoculars.

Mac scanned the desolate terrain. All she could see was scrub brush  
and rocks. Nothing moved on the floor of the canyon.

"Gabe, do you see him?" Mac's hand reached out to grip  
his arm.

He continued to look around, trying to see Judson's bright red  
shirt. "Nothing. Damn. Mac, what now?"

"We go down," Mac stated as she began the perilous trip down  
the loose shale. 

_Chapter 2_

Judson watched Mac wave in response, then turned and headed to the  
other side of the slide. He contemplated the best way to reach the  
bottom, but every way looked dangerous.

Instead, he focused his attention up. "Maybe if I go  
higher," he thought, "I might get a better lay of the  
land." Judson began to pick his way higher up the canyon. After a  
few minutes, he pulled himself up to a small tableau. There was just  
enough room for him.

Judson looked down and picked out Mac's pink tank and Gabe's  
purple shirt. They weren't that far away, but the terrain made  
it seem they were. Everywhere Judson looked it was desolate. The  
only green came from the numerous cacti or occasional mesquite tree.  
A large bird circled lazily in the sky. It was the only sign of life  
Judson had seen since he had entered the canyon.

"Okay. The diary stated that Estevanico was taken toward theKneeling Woman Mountain. Let's see if we can find it."  
Judson reached for the binoculars attached to his belt.

He searched the horizon. A formation about 4 miles west looked  
promising, as did a formation 5 miles south. Judson checked his  
watch. "Damn, I'm late. Mac will have my head if she has to  
come looking for me."

Judson replaced his binoculars and turned to make his way back down  
the slope. However, his hand knocked a stone away from the side. He  
felt a searing pain in his right forearm. He jerked his arm back and  
his hand dislodged a baseball-sized stone that hit him directly on  
the side of his head.

Judson felt pain explode in his head. He stumbled near the edge of  
the tableau. He could feel himself falling backwards, but at the  
last minute he flung himself forward, smashing directly into the  
rock face.

The pain in his head increased. His arm burned. Mercifully, the  
darkness closed around him, blocking out the pain as he slumped to  
the ground.

Judson lay on the tableau, hidden from sight of those who searched  
below. He never heard the nearby voices call his name. He lay alone  
with his head bleeding and the poison of the rattlesnake coursing  
through his body.

Chapter 3:

Mac and Gabe made it to the bottom of the canyon in record time. Mac  
was starting to get scared. She turned a worried face to Gabe, who  
wore an equally worried expression.  
"Something is wrong. Judson would not be gone this long without  
somehow contacting us," Gabe declared. He took a swig of water  
from his canteen.

Mac yelled out again for Judson. "Damn it, where the hell is  
he?" Mac's fear was evident as she angrily stalked about.

Gabe reached over and grabbed her arms. "Mac, he is not here.  
He could not have gotten this far. We need to backtrack." Gabe  
attempted to soothe his distraught friend.

"I know he is not here, Gabriel Patterson! I need to know where  
he is!" Mac jerked her arms from his grasp. She began to retrace  
her steps.

Mac's mind began whirling, "Oh God, what if he is….No,  
don't say that. I refuse to let that be a possibility. But, he  
has never left me for this long without some type of sign." Mac  
leaned her head back and rapidly blinked her eyes. "Keep it  
together Previn. Gabe does not need you to fall apart. You've  
got to  
be strong for him. God, look at him. He is not cut out for this.  
You should send him back to camp in case Judson has returned."

Mac turned to Gabe and started to speak, however she was interrupted  
by him. "Don't even say it. I am staying here. He is my  
friend too. He would be looking for me. Don't worry, I  
won't slow you down."

Mac swallowed the words and mutely turned back to her climbing. They  
finally reached the top of the slide. Gabe stood next to Mac,  
desperately looking for some sign of Judson. The sun was slowly  
setting in the west. They had about thirty or forty minutes of light  
left. After that, it would be too dark to see anything. Their  
search would have to wait until the morning.  
"Gabe, you go down and see if he has returned. I am going to  
climb a bit higher and see if I see him," Mac ordered.

Gabe stared at her intently before slowly nodding. He pulled out a  
pair of two-way radios from his back pack. "Call me if you see  
him. "We don't have much time left." With that, Gabe turned  
and made his way down the slide and back to camp.

Mac looked up and started climbing the side of the mountain. This  
was dangerous. It was really becoming too dark to see properly, but  
if she was fast enough, she could at least make it to the next shelf  
before the dying light forced her to turn around.

Her feet and hands nimbly felt the terrain for holds that could bear  
her weight. At last she felt the edge of the shelf. Her hands  
grasped the edge and she prepared to pull herself up the rest of the  
way.

Instantly, she felt a tearing sensation in her right hand. She  
grasped the offending object and flung it behind her down the  
mountain. Pain lanced through her entire body. Gingerly, she  
finished pulling herself up and lay panting for breath.

Mac turned her head and froze. Not a foot away lay Judson's  
still form. She crawled over to him. She carefully turned his face  
to the dying light. The purple bruising and red blood smeared across  
his face told the story. She then noticed his arm. The twin dots  
and red swelling made clear the urgency of the situation.

Mac scrambled for the radio. "Gabe! Gabe! Gabe!" she screamed  
in panic. Her heart was racing with fear. Mac could face many  
things, but not the sure knowledge that if she didn't do  
something, Judson Cross would die.

Gabe's heart skipped a beat as he heard Mac's desperate voice  
come through. He quickly grabbed the mic and spoke. "Mac what is  
it?"

"I found him, Gabe. He is hurt bad. He has two huge lumps on  
his head, and it looks like he got bit by a rattlesnake."  
Mac's teeth chattered.

"Okay. I am coming up again. Together, we should be able to get  
him down. Hang on."

"Gabe, wait. You can't do that. You need to get a doctor  
here, "Mac told him.

"Mac, the cell phones won't work down here. I'd have to  
drive to the top of the Caprock just to get a signal. That's  
wasted time Judson doesn't have. When I get to the top of the  
slide, shine your light down the side. That will help light my  
way," Gabe replied as he mentally reviewed the contents of their  
med kit.

Mac glanced down at Judson's pale face, and then to the twin  
holes that marred her own hand. Gabe was their only hope, but only  
if he got help. There was no way he could get them both down.

She grabbed the transmitter, "I got bit too. I am going to try  
and take care of myself, but realistically I don't know how much  
help I am going to be. Plus, with the sun going down, the climb is  
treacherous at best."

Gabe swore violently. Judson hurt . . . dying. Mac injured . . .  
possibly dying. What was he supposed to do? Gabe hit the side of  
the jeep in frustration.

Gabe collected his thoughts and spoke into the mic, "Mac, takecare of your arm first. Do you know what to do?"

Mac's voice sounded very far away as she confirmed that she did.

She grabbed her knife and made two cross-cuts across the bite. The  
only indication of her pain was a swiftly inhaled breath. She then  
began to try to suck the poison from the wound, but realistically Mac  
knew that enough poison had already entered her bloodstream to be  
dangerous.

"Okay, Gabe. I've done what I can for myself. You need to  
get going. We are counting on you." Mac's voice sounded  
tired.

"In a minute. Tie something around Judson's arm, but not too  
tight." Gabe waited for confirmation. "Mac, answer me . . .  
have you done it?"

Finally, Mac's voice returned. "Yeah, but Gabe, I don't  
know how much longer I can function."

Gabe whispered a silent prayer that this plan would work. "Mac,  
I need you to lay down next to Judson and cover up with your  
blanket. You have to keep him and yourself warm. I am going for  
help. Do you still have that flare gun in your back pack?"

Silence greeted his question. Panic gnawed at him. "Mac . . .  
answer me."

"Yeah, I found it."

"Good. Now, stay awake. You need to stay awake for Judson. I  
will be back very soon, okay?"

"Okay." Mac whispered. "But, Gabe, hurry. I don'tknow how much longer I can last."

Mac's words terrified Gabe. Never before had he heard the tough  
woman sound so young and scared. Normally she was the invincible one  
getting him out of trouble. Now both Judson and Mac were relying on  
him. Gabe could not afford to make any mistakes.

"I will, Mac," he finally replied.

Gabe jumped into the jeep, and with a flick of his wrist, started  
it. Mac watched with glazed eyes as the two red tail lights faded in  
the distance.

Chapter 4:

Judson' body was on fire. He moved restlessly in an attempt to  
get cooler. He flailed his arms trying to get loose from the  
confining bonds around him. Hazy images seemed to dance in front of  
his eyes. He could see Gabe, smiling one minute, then the light dying  
in his eyes as a red blossom appeared on his chest. He could feel  
Gabe's body fall heavily into his arms as Stefan laughed  
manically. Judson cried out as he tried to stop the blood pouring  
from the wound.Gabe looked up at Judson accusingly.

"If only you hadn't asked me to come, I would still be alive.  
This is all your fault. How could you let him kill me? I believed  
that you would take care of me. The Great Judson Cross, a failure  
because he couldn't stop a madman."

Judson stared, horrified, as Gabe's face and body melted away to  
nothing in his arms. "Gabe! Gabe!" he hoarsely cried.

Mac tried to hold Judson down before his actions knocked them both  
over the side of the shelf. Her strength was waning and waves ofsleep washed over her. Valiantly, she fought back. Judson's life  
depended on her. She had to stay awake. The temperature had dropped  
noticeably, so she wrapped the blanket closer around them.

Judson's anguished cries caused her heart to clench. She could  
only imagine what he was dreaming. She began to whisper soothing  
words to the distraught man.

Judson looked up from the space where Gabe's body had been to  
stare at Stefan. He tried to lunge at the figure, but felt his arms  
and legs bound. He lay helpless on the floor at the mercy of Stefan.

Stefan circled him while sharpening a knife. Suddenly, Mac appeared  
in the doorway. Judson called out to her. "Mac! He killed Gabe!  
You need to get the knife from him!" He was confident that Mac  
would save him and seek revenge for the murder of Gabe.

Mac nodded once before confidently walking into striking distance of  
Stefan. She grinned at Stefan before launching herself at him.  
Judson waited with bated breath for Mac to beat the hell out Stefan  
and save him.

His eyes filled with confusion as Mac grabbed Gabe's killer and  
proceeded to kiss him. One of Stefan's hands roughly grabbed her  
hair as their mouths violently mated. Coming up for air, Mac turned  
to Judson and laid her head on Stefan's shoulder.

Her voice mocked the pain and confusion in Judson's eyes.  
"Oh. Did you think I was here to save you?" She said  
condescendingly. "Now why would I want to save a pathetic soul  
like you? Did you really think I would want to stay with someone who  
can't protect his friends? Did you think that I might actually  
love you?" Mac's voice ended in laughter.

She kneeled closer to Judson. "You had potential, but you blewthat when you failed to keep Gabe safe. Why would I trust you with my  
life?"

She stood and crossed back to Stefan's arms. "Stefan protects  
those whom he claims. I hope you burn in hell, Judson Cross, for  
betraying your friends." Mac swiftly kicked Judson in the  
stomach. Judson grabbed his middle with one hand and stretched the  
other out to Mac in entreaty. However, she and Stefan dissolved before  
Judson's eyes.

Judson was suddenly alone in the room. Tears trickled from his face  
as he came to terms with his failures. How many times had Gabe or Mac  
been put into danger because of his foolishness? He wasn't worthy  
to have them as friends. And now they had left him. Proof that he was  
right.

He closed his eyes and gave into the pain in his body and heart.  
What good was living if those who you lived for were gone?

Mac felt the change in Judson's body and in his breathing. She  
sighed with relief that the fever-induced dreams had apparently  
stopped, but the tears on his face bothered her. Her Judson  
didn't show his vulnerable side often. What was going on in that  
brain of his?

Mac wrapped her arms around his writhing body. He was burning up.  
Sweat poured off his body. She had tried to pour water in his mouth  
earlier, but her movements were uncoordinated and feeble. The poison  
dancing through her veins was making coordination difficult. She  
pulled Judson closer to her and drew the blanket tighter around them.

Chapter 5:

The tires on the jeep spun in the loose dirt as Gabe hurled thevehicle up the treacherous path. Time was of the essence. There was  
no telling how long Judson had been up on that ledge.

He mentally reviewed all his limited medical knowledge. He didn't  
remember the specifics, but he did know that without treatment Judson  
and Mac would die. He was scared to death. He had never had to be the  
strong one before. Yeah, he was there to watch Judson and Mac on a  
dive and such, but he knew in his heart that if he wasn't there,  
they would be alright.

Gabe could hear his father's voice reminding him how he was a  
screw-up and not reliable. His father had predicted failure when Gabe  
had decided to join Judson's crew. Now, if Gabe failed, not only  
would he prove his father right, but Judson and Mac would be dead.

He slid to a halt at the top of the caprock. Grabbing his cell phone,  
he leapt from the jeep. He dialed 911 and waited. Nothing. He looked  
at the phone. No signal.

"Dammit to hell." He threw the phone to the ground in a fit  
of anger. His mind was whirling. How could he save Mac and Judson if  
he couldn't even call for help?

It would take hours to drive to the nearest town. Even then, there  
was no telling how close a medical-rescue helicopter was.

"Think. Come on Gabe. You can do this. Just calm down and  
think," Gabe told himself.

Suddenly, he grabbed the cell phone from the ground and quickly  
opened up the back of the jeep. He grabbed various electronic  
equipment. If he could just boost the signal enough to catch an  
orbiting satellite, he could call for help.

Gabe knew that he was making a decision that would decide Judson andMac's fate. If he failed, there would not be enough time to go  
for help, and they would die. But, he trusted his instincts and  
proceeded to tweak the cell phone's signal capabilities.

After about twenty minutes of work, he dialed in the state emergency  
number and waited for it to ring. He was greeted by silence. It was  
not working. He had failed. He had failed Judson and Mac. He  
crumpled to the ground, a single tear etching its way down his face.

Gabe could picture their bodies still and lifeless. The guilt crushed  
down on him. Why didn't he just go for help when he had the  
chance? How dare he think he could save Judson and Mac.

Then, in his mind, Gabe heard Judson's voice reminding him that  
he was a valuable and important member of the team. He had many times  
used his technical wizardry to help them out of a tough spot.

Gabe wiped the tear from his face. He stood up and started working on  
the equipment again. He pulled wires loose and reconnected others,  
all the while sending prayer upon prayer that Judson and Mac were  
alright.

Finally, he was confident that this would work. He dialed the number  
again and waited. After a pregnant pause, he heard a voice pick up on  
the other line. Gabe breathed a sigh of relief before giving the  
operator their location and situation.

Mac turned and looked at her watch. Gabe had been gone for over 4  
hours. Something had to have gone wrong. He could have wrecked the  
jeep or maybe he was injured. Maybe dead. Morbid thoughts filled her  
mind.

How fitting that all three would die at the same time, she thought to  
herself. It was time to give up the fight and just let go. Judson wasgoing to die. There was nothing she could do to save him. This was  
one instance that her skills were useless.

In a way, Mac was glad that she would not be there to mourn  
Judson's and Gabe's passing. She had been the sole survivor  
before, but when she joined Judson and Gabe that was supposed to be a  
thing of the past.

Mac looked down on Judson's still face. His breath barely stirred  
her hair. She could feel the life draining out of him. One hand  
reached out and caressed his face. It was funny how he had given her  
peace. Hers had been a violent and stressful life before Judson. He  
showed her how to temper the violence within her and find the joy in  
life.

Mac's mind recalled Judson grinning up at her, his hair slicked  
back with water. Images of shared laughter, promising glances, and  
unspoken words flashed before her. Her heart broke as the  
possibilities withered with their potential deaths.

Gabe's face intruded on her images of Judson. A small smile  
touched Mac's mouth. Gabe had been the brother she never had. She  
felt protective of him, but she also enjoyed their camaraderie. Many  
times they had conspired to torment Judson. She was going to miss his  
infectious smile and quick wit.

Mac's eyes grew heavy. She could feel herself losing  
consciousness. She welcomed the darkness. The fight was over.

Suddenly, a bright light filled her vision. Was this death? She had  
heard tales of a bright light at the moment of death. But this light  
was not peaceful. It hurt.

She felt herself being pulled and twisted. Mac tried to strike out  
at the unknown. It was taking her away from the peaceful blackness.A voice echoed through her brain.

"Mac? Mac? It's Gabe. We're here. Let go of Judson.  
It's okay. You did it."

The voice was familiar, but Gabe was dead, right? The voice commanded  
that she let go, so Mac released her tight hold on Judson. Then she  
felt herself being gently lifted and placed next to him.

She felt weightless as they were lifted up from the shelf and into  
the waiting helicopter.

Gabe watched anxiously as the rescue workers loaded his injured  
friends on the helicopter. He grabbed Mac's hand as they strapped  
her down and brushed the hair from her face.

The technicians had to work around him, since Gabe had no intention  
of letting Judson or Mac go anywhere without him. He continued to rub  
Mac's hand and was finally rewarded with her eyes opening  
slightly.

Mac's vision cleared enough so that Gabe's face appeared. She  
weakly nodded her head at him so he would lean down. As his face got  
closer, she whispered, "You did good kid. You did good." Then  
she succumbed to the blackness.

Gabe looked over at the technicians. "Well, how are they?"

The lead tech looked up with a very serious expression. "They are  
alive, but only time will tell if they make it. But, I will tell you  
this, if you had tried to drive for help, they would'a died before we  
got here. It is a good thing you got a call through. You know,  
you're a hero." He then turned back to his patients. Gabe  
smiled slightly and once again resumed his vigil of watching over his  
friends.

As the helicopter sped away, a dark figure watched from the northern  
face of Kneeling Woman Mountain. When the distant lights of the  
chopper had faded, the figure melted back into the shadows. The  
explorers would be back, and it would be waiting.

The End (?)


End file.
